The Old Dogs In The Pound
by Kiba-incarnate
Summary: I regret..." I never told her how I would wake up at night hearing those words. A KibaSaku one shot. First story and reviews dearly wished for. For every guy who has ever been dumped for no reason, then found hope in the most unlikely place


_Heya peeps and peoples of the world. This is Kibaincarnate here with my first one shot. As you can probaly guess from the name, I sorta like Kiba, as he is what I aspire to be. bless him. Any way this is a KibaSaku fic with a little fluff and angst in it. It's a little wierd but thats because it's semi-auto biographical. Obvoiusly I'm not a ninja but one can dream... =) The next stories will not be this deep and shizzle but i just needed to bang this one out. Any love given by reviews is much apprectiated as is constructive critisism. Outright flames will be ignored or possibly used for a vendetta if i feel really grumpy. Having a narked 5 11" prop smashing down your door is not something you want to happen, asmy little brother can tell you, so best not tempt fate eh?_

_Oh and before any Ino fans go mental, i love KibaIno and Ino as a character, but she fitted the bill for the ex so bare with me. In my 70,000 word epic im doing she gets a much better part so no worries k? _

_Any spelling, grammer or tense mistakes please point out as my beta isn't the most reliable, but i love her.  
_

_Finally I don't own Naruto, because if i did, Kisame would have not have died such a pussy death_

Kiba hasn't smiled since that day, the day when he went home and stared at his window, wondering if it was high enough to jump out of. The one and only time he has ever sunk that low. He hasn't smiled properly. Kiba fake smiles better than Sai now. Three years will do that to you.

Even after months had gone by, Kiba would still wake up in the night, remembering the words she said to him.

"I don't love you anymore"

"I hate you"

"I wonder if Shikamaru's still free"

Ino really knew how to plunge the knife in deep. Sure he wasn't perfect, he made mistakes and got angry, but he never went out of his way to hurt her, never on purpose.

"You're a dirty, stupid mutt"

That one had hurt. She'd promised never to call him that. He'd only told her how much it hurt him when people called him Mutt because he loved her. So much. And now it meant nothing. He can't remember ever feeling worse than he did that moment.

"I regret losing my virginity to you"

Yes he can. Because that hurt more than anything Ino had ever said to him. She'd taken the most intimate, the most important and cherished gift anyone can ever give another… and spat on it. He broke. The flame that had burned within him for so long went out. Not of love for Ino, that had been there a few years tops. Not his pride, that was born when he learnt that he was strong back in the academy. Something deeper, the thing that made Kiba Kiba, broke.

Went out.

Died.

No anger, not righteous comeback, not even any begging tears. Just emptiness.

Kiba can remember suffering badly. Ino had come back to him the next day, apologizing, crying, begging for him to come back. The old Kiba would have been angry, maybe made her chase for a bit, but would have secretly thanked every god under the sun that she came back.

But Kiba wasn't Kiba anymore.

He could feel it.

So he retreated. In his own little way . Mates, booze and girls. Nothing serious mind you, just a little flirting and partying. And not to make Ino cry. He might be broken but he still loved her. Didn't want to see her shed more tears over him.

So he made peace, went back to being her friend. Sure Ino pinned after him after a while, but she moved on with his blessing. He never told her that he'd wake up night after night, hearing those dreaded words again.

"I regret…"

Others don't understand, their just words after all. But their not just words. You yell at a dog and chances are it will bark back. Kick a dog and it will bite you. But if you yell at _YOUR _dog, kick _YOUR _dog, hurt the thing that will always love you… and you watch it cower. Watch it as it hits the floor and prays for forgiveness. But ignore that and do it again and again and again, until that dog finally bites back.

Not to hurt you.

Just to stop getting hurt.

Go to a pound and go to the back, where the dogs that no body wants are. The ones that live the rest of their lives in a cage. The ones who have suffered, that have been betrayed. They'll let you make a fuss and wag their tail at the right moments, but look at their eyes. Gone is the unrequited love. Gone is the innocence and ignorance of life. Gone is the get up and go. What you see is not a dog anymore, but a shell.

Kiba is just a shell.

Kiba was just a shell.

But he is starting to feel again.

Looking up he can see her through the downpour, the sheets of rain bouncing off the road like little fish. The rumble of the bass from the party behind him. That shock of pink hair still upright in the rain. That smile that seems to warm him up on the coldest of days. That smile that can make a dog become a dog again.

"Come on Mutt, let's get some grub"

Kiba's eyes close as his spirit recedes again. Maybe he was wrong; maybe he is still a dirty mutt. Even his best friend thinks so, the one who bandaged him up after pushing himself to hard in training. The one who supported him instead of Ino and hugged him to make him feel better. The one he made him think he could be more than a shell again.

And this time the anger comes back with full vengeance, as do the tears that mingle with the rain. Kiba's fists clench with 3 years of fury, suppressed and unseen. Rage boils in his veins as the water evaporates off his bare skin, the power contained within his dense body rolling off his frame in powerful waves.

Then Kiba realised something, two things actually. The first was that he didn't feel empty anymore, that this anger was the first real emotion he'd felt since him and Ino finished. It was like seeing again after being struck blind, the colour of his feelings was overwhelming. Too long had he shut himself off from others, built up his walls, and shut himself off from what really makes a dog a dog.

People.

But the second thing was much more important. A Large, bedraggled white shape had joined the pink figure. Kiba had forgotten that he wasn't the only mutt.

"And since I am treating you to dinner Akamaru, I think it's only fair that your master pays for me! Whadda think Kiba?"

Sakura turns, he wet hair finally succumbing to the rain and flipping over her shoulder. Kiba always knew she was beautiful, as did everyone, but after hearing Naruto and Lee say it for so long she believes none of it. Kiba can only watch as, hands on hips, she glares at him.

"Well mister, I asked you a Question…!"

And something clicks back into place. Kiba can feel it. Like the time when he had dislocated his shoulder and Shino had to slide it back in to the socket with Hinata guiding him. But now it's not his shoulder, but his heart, that suddenly connects back with the rest of his body. With his eyes wide, Kiba feels his legs begin to go.

Sakura's eyes widen as she rushes over, seeing her friend begin to topple. Akamaru is there as well, knowing all to well what's going on, yet hoping at the same time that maybe his master is better because of it. She catches Kiba just before he hits the floor, her green emeralds frosted with concern.

"Kiba…"

And with that one word, one word saturated with care and concern, he is fixed. He's not unwanted, he is not dirty and he is most certainly not a mutt!

"Oh my gosh Kiba are you Ok, you gave me such a scare. Please say something, you look awfully pale" Sakura gushes as she prepares a medical technique, worry etched on every line of her face.

But the chakra falls from her hand as Kiba's eyes lock onto hers, and she feels the heat of his body against her own. Her words stutter as Kiba picks her up deftly in his arms, no worse for wear after his fall. But what stops her breathe coming and makes her heart skip is the smile gracing his face, and the warmth radiating from him.

One that they have all missed, one that has been absent for 3 long years, the one he is smiling for her again. Kiba smiles with his incisors poked over his lips, a sight not seen since he became single.

"Worried about me beautiful…"

"N…No of c..course no..t"

She feels the laughter before she feels it, the rumble that comes from the pit of his stomach. "Really, you seemed plenty worried to me"

And Sakura gazes up at he man holding her so strongly in his arms, making her own insecurities melt away. "Your back" she whispers. A statement, not a question

The laughter ends. "The last time I felt like this it nearly cost me my life" Kiba says, looking at her head on, the pain of the past all too visible in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry" Sakura mumbles, trying to escape. When his arms don't give she shoots a glance back up at him, face hidden by her bangs. He just looks back down at her, with eyes that show get up and go, innocence and ignorance, and most importantly, unrequited love. "Thank you for fixing me"

He means every word, and with that his eyes light up, the curtains thrown back to reveal Kiba, the dog with a new family, and a new love.

And as if god heard him, the rain stopped and the clouds parted, moonlight highlighting the couple as Kiba leans in closer, Sakura guiding him with her hands.

"Now how could I possibly repay you"

"Couldn't just leave it as a romantic moment could you"

"You wanted me back, you've got me back, mood ruiners and all…

Both pause, trying to regain the moment lost.

"But _you've _got all of me"

And without giving her time to gasp, he kissed her.

_Thanks for reading guys, review if you can and feedback would be great. Thanks again and look forward to the first chapters of my epic coming soon..._


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